ARRIS and Korean ISP SK Broadband Bond 16 Downstream Channels in One Bonding Group on a Single Modem, Reaching 800 Mbps Data Speeds

ARRIS announced that in conjunction with SK Broadband Inc., South Korea's leading integrated telecommunications company, it has successfully bonded 16 Downstream channels to deliver data throughput speeds of up to 800 Mbps in SK Broadband's labs, using an ARRIS C4(R) CMTS with Software Release 7.4 and an SK Broadband 16x4 modem.

"The ability to deliver 800 Mbps will enable cable operators to offer service that is competitive with operators using Fiber to the Premises and Passive Optical Networks," said ARRIS CTO Ken Wright. "By delivering this service over existing Hybrid Fiber Coaxial infrastructure, cable operators will be able to deliver a competitive service offering without making substantial investments in network upgrades."

The Korean telecommunications market is one of the world's most demanding environments for service providers. Continuing increases in Over the Top video consumption are driving the need for an ever-expanding supply of bandwidth, both residentially as well as for business customers. Telco providers continue to offer increased bandwidth tiers, and cable operators like SK Broadband and the vendors who supply them, like ARRIS, must not only meet but exceed the pace of competition.

"This is a very exciting technical milestone to have reached," said ARRIS VP Product Management Todd Kessler. "Data speeds about which we only once dreamed are becoming available to consumers and SK Broadband is leading the way. ARRIS has a long history of technological innovation as well as a commitment to open standards and multi-vendor interoperability, and this is a natural extension of our previous channel bonding deployments and a direct example of our commitment to the fast-developing broadband markets of Asia."